Uno!

This past Sunday afternoon while Landon was at the Scouts' God & Me program, Carter and I ate WAY too much Halloween candy and played 8 games of Uno on an overturned laundry basket. He beat me 5 to 3. Must have been the full-size chocolate bar...

Only Cool Kids Go to the Dentist

What's Up?

This is going to be a hodgepodge of topics but here's what's been going on with the Bagley Circus lately.

I was so freaked out that I was going to go into labor this past weekend (even though I have accepted that this baby will most likely come late - again, I am banking on November 30). Spoiler alert: she didn't come! Christopher and the boys went on a boys-only camping trip so they weren't home and not easily reachable. I was just imagining me delivering my own baby on my couch while my husband and boys ate s'mores around a campfire. Also, it was a full moon. And I had been for a dental check-up last Thursday and the hygienist freaked me out saying that check-ups send women into labor. Lastly, my niece Gracie's birthday was Saturday and she has sworn since day 1 that I was going to have this baby on her birthday (Carter was born on her sister, Elizabeth's birthday). I'm not very superstitious but that was a lot. However, no baby came. Whew.

I don't know how I didn't go into labor last Thursday night with all the excitement in the house though! Hokie has gotten really bad about slipping out of the door and going around the house to the back door. Well...Thursday morning when I left for work, he slipped out without me realizing it and I left. I was at ninjitsu with the boys at 5pm when I got a text from Christopher that Hokie wasn't in the house. He walked around the neighborhood for an hour before I got home with no luck. Then I drove and walked around for another hour, plus had the ladies that live behind us looking too. He didn't have on his collar, although he is microchipped. Needless to say, I was the crazy, crying pregnant woman limping around in the dark (by the light of a full moon) calling "Hokie, Hokie, Hokie" over and over and over. I decided to go back home and make flyers. As I was walking up to my house, a car pulled into the drive. Two ladies got out and I yelled, "Do you have my dog?" and out jumped Hokie. I ran up to these ladies (mother and daughter) and hugged their neck, again crying like the craziest woman you've ever seen. They lived one street behind us so he had walked though our back yard to theirs, the daughter put him in a crate while she left for school, then after work/school they took him to a vet to see if he had a chip. The chip still had our old Youngsville address so she did some research and found our address. I am so thankful for good people like these two ladies. Then...for two hours afterwards, I sat in my living room crying (with joy, relief, guilt, I don't even know what) and having contractions. Finally, I was able to calm down and again, no baby.

Some baby things did get accomplished, however, so we are ready for Miss Wrenn when she comes. Car seats bases are installed in both vehicles, the last touches have been made to the nursery, hospital bag is packed, diaper bags are ready, and the last little things have been purchased. I think we're ready!!! Am I forgetting anything?

Carter stopped sucking his thumb! Cold turkey!!! At his dental check-up last week, the dentist suggested we take him to an orthodontist for an opinion regarding the constriction his palate has from thumb-sucking and the potential of an appliance. He was so freaked out that he stopped that night. The poor guy had a hard time at first; he cried for a while. And it just broke my heart. I was a thumb-sucker and I know what it feels like...but we've got some dental issues beginning from it so it has to stop. And he gets it. My aunt, who is an orthodontist assistant thinks it's a little too early for something like that so I am not sure if I am going to take him to an ortho or not. Especially since he's stopped sucking his thumb. But we'll see...

Lots going on over the past week and a really tough week ahead. We're waiting on some test results (coming Wednesday) that could entirely rock our worlds as a family. I can't go into it too much yet until we know some things (and to protect some younger family members that haven't been told anything yet) but we'd appreciate the prayers, good thoughts, etc.

The Miracle of Life

Click on the picture to get an enlarged view.

Weekly Update: 37 Weeks

With only 3 weeks left, Miss Wrenn weighs 6 & 1/3 pounds and is a bit over 19 inches long. She is the size of a bunch of Swiss chard (BabyCenter email) or a watermelon (Baby Countdown app).

At this week's appointment, they checked me for any progress. I am still closed and up, however, she said that doesn't really mean much for a 3rd time mom. Apparently, baby #3 doesn't progress slowly like a 1st or 2nd might. Basically I could go from nothing to having a baby. I have been highly discouraged against travel at this point (which makes going to VA by myself this weekend a bit challenging...in other words, not going to happen). My Group B Strep test came back negative as anticipated. No weight gain since the previous week (again, take that mean doctor!). I think I am holding steady at around 38 pounds (remember...56 pounds with Landon and 50 with Carter).

I am officially scheduled for an induction on Dec 4, which is at 41 weeks. Hopefully we won't need that.

My niece, Gracie, has sworn up and and down from day 1 that I am having this baby on Saturday, 11/8...her birthday (her sister, Elizabeth, shares a birthday with Carter and called that one too). Then I went for my routine dental check-up last night and the hygienist said that it's an old tale that dental check-ups can put a woman into labor. Now...I'm not one for believing this stuff, especially since I don't think I'm going to go early, BUT Christopher and the boys are going to be camping this weekend and I will be by myself. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous.

My hips, pelvis, and butt hurt a lot. I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions almost every day. I wake up in the middle of the night (several nights during the week) feeling so queasy and like I'm going to get sick. And I am just overall tired and ready. Ready to meet my sweet girl!

I've been working more and more from home (at least 2-3 days each week) and after next week, will start working from home full-time until the baby comes. I can lay on the couch with my feet up while I work. Hopefully I can get the swelling in my right foot to go down (it's just my right foot...very weird).

Christopher sanded and painted the crib this past weekend. Now I just have to vacuum up the mess and put the crib back together (mattress, bed skirt, etc. back). The hospital bag HAS to be packed ASAP. I will do that this weekend. The last piece to the nursery is hanging a hook in the ceiling to hang a hot air balloon from (wonder if I can get up there and do it this weekend?). I'll get Christopher to install the car seat bases within the next week or so. It's not the end of the world if those don't get in before baby. He could always run home from the hospital to grab it. I may make a trip to BRU this weekend and pick up a few odds and ends, but I think I have everything I need for Wrenn.

The waiting game...

Fall Conferences 2014

Last week, we had our first parent-teacher conferences of the 2014/2015 school year.

I mean, I know my kids are sweet and perfect and brilliant but it's always great to hear someone else confirm that (sometimes parents can be a little biased, you know?). Both boys had great reports and Christopher and I left feeling very proud.

Landon's teacher started with, "This is going to be short because I have nothing to say except he's awesome." Landon is so focused this year. In 2nd grade, he'd had issues with chattiness and too many girlfriends, but that's not an issue at all in 3rd. I don't know if it's because he's matured some or if the work is harder (or more interesting - he is digging multiplication and division) so it keeps him focused on his work. But he's very serious about his schoolwork and is doing awesome. He's at a reading level Q already, which is where they need to be at the end of 3rd grade. As you can see on his Fall Conference report, he's at (3) or above (3+ and 4) grade level in all targets. I'm just so proud of him. AND!!! The other day we were talking about one of his Y counselors (who I get to check his math homework) who is going to school to be a math teacher. He beamed up at me and said, "I CAN BE A MATH TEACHER!!!" YES!!!! Remember the stress over what he's going to be when he grows up?

I'll be honest with you...I was a little bit worried over Carter. He'd had a few rough weeks at school so I had no idea what his teacher was going to say about him. She said other than those few incidents, he's been a complete angel. She said he's really sweet, makes friends easily (he's got one little boy named Tristan that he particularly likes), and he's doing great with his schoolwork. As you can see on his Fall Conference report, he's meeting all of his targets as well and his teacher has suggested things that he can work on that are beyond K level.

We feel so blessed to have these 2 great kids. God is good.

Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween from the Bagley Family (our last Halloween as a family of 4!)!!!

Weekly Update: 36 Weeks (1 Day Late)

At 36 weeks, baby bird is almost 6 pounds and more than 18.5 inches long. She is the size of a head of romaine lettuce.

I had my regularly-scheduled weekly check-up yesterday, which was a good thing because I had a little fall the day before. Hokie's beard drips water on the kitchen floor near his bowl after he drinks and I came through the kitchen a little too fast and slipped on it. I fell straight onto my butt, obviously doing something weird with the left side of my body because I was sore, sore, sore from my left toes up to the left side of my neck. My bootie was especially sore. It's starting to feel better today. I felt the baby move a few hours after the fall but was still a little nervous because she wasn't acting her normal busy self. Everything checked out ok at the doctor and he deemed her in much better shape than mom.

I've lost a few pounds since the previous week (take that, mean doctor!) and had my Group B strep test done (I'll find out the results from that next week, but basically just have to get antibiotics during delivery if I am positive - I was negative with both boys and they expect it to be the same). We officially unscheduled my 39-week induction and have me scheduled for 41 weeks (December 4). Hopefully she'll come on her own before then. I am predicting a November 30 birthday! :)

The handsome mister and I went to a Bradley Gilbert concert on my 36-week mark!

North Carolina State Fair 2014

This past weekend, we went to the North Carolina State Fair. Grandma & Grandpa Bagley and cousin Matt joined us. We met up with Uncle Mike and Olive there as well.

We spent T.E.N. hours walking, eating (lots o' eating), riding, and visiting exhibits. It started getting pretty crowded during the later afternoon so we mozied on back home after fighting the crowds back to our (paid) parking. Remember that year my Vibe got broken into while parked (very close to police) on the side of Hillsborough? Yeah, we pay to park in an attended lot now.

The boys had a blast riding rides. This is the first year they haven't wanted to ride the same things. Landon rode some things with his brother but passed on some because "he didn't want to waste his tickets on the baby rides." That didn't bother Carter in the least...he got on rides by himself this year, as did Landon. Landon surprised me this year with his little adventurous flair. He wasn't scared of anything and would have ridden more had we 1) had more tickets and 2) not cut off their riding due to long lines once it got crowded. He wanted to ride one ride that looked like a Scrambler, except it went up in the air, sideways, and SUPER fast. He SQUEAKED by on the height requirement (still debatable, IMO). Much to his mother's protests, he rode it with Uncle Mike and had a blast. I, on the other hand, had envisioned his little body being flown across the fairgrounds and didn't breathe during the entire ride. He also rode the little single car roller coaster (with his Daddy)...he liked it afterwards, but according to Christopher yelled "GET ME OFF" during the ride. LOL  I think he likes the fast spinny stuff (like Mommy likes) and maybe can deal without the stomach-dropping stuff (like Daddy likes). He's definitely turning into a little daredevil, and I am NOT ready for that.

Food. Oh the food. I ate a Mt. Olive sour pickle, elephant ear, fries, cheese fries, John Deere ice cream, and a turkey leg. Many other foods were consumed in our group (by mostly Matt) that included deep-fried mushrooms, corn on the cob, Krispy Kreme do-nut hamburger, Twinx (Twix shoved in a Twinkie, wrapped in bacon, and deep fried), oyster po' boys, apple cider slushies, corn dogs, pizza, etc. etc. etc.

We also saw the biggest pumpkin, beautiful cakes, and a goat show (those things are hard-headed) as well as other animals. We weighed ourselves (an annual tradition that I wish would end) and listened to some bluegrass. I had to stop often to rest (and eat). My feet were sausages by the end of the day, the kids were hyped up on sugar, and I felt like I was going to puke in the middle of the night from all the food so I call our day at the fair a win!

Turkey leg! Pickle sticker! (& boobs sitting on top of my belly!)

#ladyboner

The baby didn't like the smell of the animals. He's got his mama's nose.

Weekly Update: 35 Weeks

F.I.V.E. weeks to go. Five. One, two, three, four, five. Holy smokes!

At 35 weeks, baby bird is 5 & 1/4 pounds and 18 inches long. She is the size of a honeydew melon. Most of what she'll be doing development-wise from here on out is just getting fat. (And apparently mama too - 7 pounds gained in the past 2 weeks...yowzers!)

I had an OB check-up yesterday and the doctor I spoke with was very supportive of my choice not to induce at 39 weeks. He agreed that babies can get stuck, whether they are small or big, and that it was really hard to predict. He also said that he, and the other doctors in the practice, are very skilled at getting a stuck baby out (although that is obviously not the ideal situation because it does carry risks). He said that it was absolutely up to me and not to lose sleep over the decision. I had made my decision, but our conversation was very reassuring. I got my flu shot while there and he confirmed that Miss Wrenn is indeed head down. :)  I'm at weekly appointments now, which blows my mind (and is so hard to schedule around my training schedule at work)!

My feet are SO swollen. And it is so very painful. Some days I start out with ankles and the swelling sets in over the day, but some days I wake up already swollen (like yesterday...I put on cowboy boots for work and quickly realized that it was not going to work because of the swelling, but I couldn't get them off and Christopher had already left for work. My toes were numb by noon.)

People ask how I am feeling and the best I can answer is, "35 weeks pregnant." Oy.